The Man in the Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask is the unnamed man who was once a human until one of Grand Duke Drago and Countess Genevieve Vasa's experiments from 5,000 years ago visited his home in the Southern Frontier attacking and killing his family. His Father, Mother, children, and Wife were all massacred. He survives only to be turned Noble by his attacker. He hires D to hunt Grand Duke Drago and kill him for revenge. Makes his appearance in Throng of Heretics. Appearance Though he is described here as a man, that could be determined by his voice alone. The head that emerged from his gorgeously embroidered robe was fully contained by an iron mask. Not only that, but the hands that poked from his sleeves were also sheathed in gleaming silver gauntlets all the way down to the tips of his fingers. From the tremble in his voice, it was clear that his monotone was actually due to restraining the fierce emotion from his voice. The man in the iron mask trembled violently from head to foot. It was a mad spasm of grief and anger. There could be no doubt it would become lunacy in a matter of seconds. The voice continued to howl madly. Was the iron armor intended to deny his employer his freedom? Beneath that mask, did he gnash the fangs of a Noble? Personality He used to be a very caring, understanding, and happy person. He used to preach seeing the good in people and humbling oneself to his family and also in others outside of the family. A very welcoming person in general and having good manners he also tried to pass this off to others. Being rich it can be assumed he was successful in his occupation. Hardships and suffering seem to have stayed far away from him which left him dropping his guard along with having these good qualities, something that is fatal on the Frontier. He seemed to be very respectful of his parents and made sure they were well taken care of keeping them close along with his wife and children living in the same home. HE seems to have been the rock of the family and its leader. Once he is changed and his family dies, he becomes consumed with rage and hate. The thing driving him now is vengeance for his family where once it was the love of his family. Biography The Sacred Ancestor approached Grand Duke Drago and commanded him and Countess Genevieve Vasa to help perform the experiments of combining the genes of light and darkness for the betterment of humans and Nobles who they have determined will not survive unless there is a success with these operations. The grand duke agonized over it for 70 long years according to him before he accepted. She seems to have accepted to do it all along though. They conducted these experiments that were particularly brutal over 5,000 years with no success. They did hear there was one but it wasn't one of theirs. Many of these died over the years many didn't quite die. The humans made living dead souls were sealed and enchanted into a weapon made by the Sacred Ancestor called Blue Blood. Others were were locked down stairs that lived but still weren't considered a success. Others that died were given graves which both the Duke and Countess agonized over. The countess began leaving flowers at some point making a ceremony out of it where she sings to the dead to ease their pain and hatred leaving fresh flowers everyday. When the experiment ended the two slept for 5,000 years. One of their experiments from 5,000 years ago paid a visit to a rich family on the Frontier. One of the family members was the father now known as The Man in the Iron Mask who gives this account: “One million dalas, as agreed.” The bag set on the table shifted slightly. Due to the gold coins that filled it, it looked as soft and lumpy as clay. The owner of that bag sat in a wheelchair ﬂanked by bodyguards, one of whom swallowed hard and said, “That’s a hell of a payday. For that much, you could run a whole town on the Frontier for a hundred years.” “On the other hand, make a mistake and that million dalas won't be worth dirt to you, ” the man in the wheelchair said in a horrible monotone that made the guard wince. “Even someone as famous across the Frontier as D can ’t take on Grand Duke Drago and expect to come away unscathed.” “I know that name, " D replied. The secretary who sat at a desk a good distance away punching their conversation into a typewriter pressed her hand to her chest and slumped over the machine. Her expression had dissolved in rapture—for she ’d heard D’s voice. “But I‘d heard he’d died in the distant past,” the Hunter continued. "A little over five thousand years ago, or so they say, ” the man—his em— ployer—concurred with a nod. Though he is described here as a man, that could be determined by his voice alone. The head that emerged from his gorgeously embroidered robe was fully contained by an iron mask. Not only that, but the hands that poked from his sleeves were also sheathed in gleaming silver gauntlets all the way down to the tips of his fingers. From the tremble in his voice, it was clear that his monotone was actually due to restraining the fierce emotion from his voice. “Indeed, he was destroyed. But what he built still lives somewhere out on the Frontier. The legendary Tube Express, for example. It seems this enormous train, like some sort of huge hotel or perhaps a factory of sorts, races through transparent tubes at nearly the speed of sound. As to why he would construct such a thing, whether purely for sightseeing or for some other purpose—even now views vary, and any conclusions are fog-bound. One theory has it that it was built for conducting outrageous experiments, but that remains unclear.” “What’s gone won’t be coming back,” D said. It was a tone that could permeate rock. “Why dig it up again? ” “A dozen days ago, I gave a traveler lodging at my home. That was the first mistake. At first blush he looked to be a timid man, but at night his true nature suddenly became apparent and he killed my entire family. I asked him then who he was, and he told me he was a human who’d been trans-'' ''formed by Grand Duke Drago. Five thousand years ago he was abducted by the grand duke and used as a guinea pig in certain experiments. As a result, he said his veins flowed with the blood of a Noble who by day might walk in the light of the sun without harm. And when he called on our house, it had been by the sunlit hours of day. Oh, if only I had noticed then. His face was fine as any peach blossom, his eyes calm. His neck was fully exposed and free of fang marks. But that doesn't absolve me of sin. My children were against letting him stay with us. No doubt a childish instinct or something let them see through him. I'd scolded my children, told them our family had a tradition of showing compassion to strangers, and invited him in. Compassion? Tradition? What had I done? “He said he wouldn't make me one of them. Told me to put my family to rest. And as he left, he added something. That the Grand Duke Drago who’d made him what he was had sped about the Frontier in a train that resembled a huge castle. Though the train and the tube around it have vanished be-'' ''neath the sands, they neither rust nor decay. Even now it lies quietly beneath the sand, awaiting the hour of its resurrection. Naturally, its master Grand Duke Drago too is merely in a long slumber, awaiting his own hour of resur-'' ''reaction in a coffin secured somewhere in the train. “My mission in life is set. D, find where that train rests out on the Frontier and drive a wooden stake through Grand Duke Drago's heart as he slumbers there. And once the grand duke's been destroyed, drive another one right through the center of his ashes. In all eternity I can never make up for my sin, but once you’ve done this the souls of my three children, my wife, my parents, and a score of our servants will be able to take their place with God at last.” The man in the iron mask trembled violently from head to foot. It was a mad spasm of grief and anger. There could be no doubt it would become '' ''lunacy in a matter of seconds. A black-gloved hand grabbed the bag “You’ll take the job, then?” the employer's other guard said, the words escaping in a tone of relief. “I'll contact you periodically, D told him, and then he turned his back to the man. “I'll, go too ” his employer said, his voice following the Hunter. "I'll go, with you. Let me drive a stake through Grand Duke Drago’s heart. Please, take me with you." D slipped out the door. The voice continued to howl madly. “Vengeance for my children. Vengeance for my parents and my wife. Rip the grand duke's heart out and let me drink its gushing blood. ” Was the iron armor intended to deny his employer his freedom? Beneath that mask, did he gnash the fangs of a Noble? Powers and Abilities Vampire Powers Daywalking Transportation Wheel Chair Residence Unknown Equipment Million Dala Bag Iron Mask Iron Armor Underlings Bodyguards Category:Males Category:Human Category:Vampires Category:Characters